Happy Birthday To Us!

100 years ago, the American Cancer Society began the fight of a lifetime – the fight against cancer. With your help we’ve made a lot of progress, but there is more work to do.

Together we can finish the fight.

We want to put the American Cancer Society out of business. Yep, you heard us right. If we put ourselves out of business, that means we’ll never lose another loved one to cancer. As the Official Sponsor Of Birthdays®, we know how important each and every birthday is. That’s why we’re embarking on our most ambitious undertaking yet. We’re determined to make this cancer’s last century – not just in America but for people everywhere.

We need your help – pledge to finish the fight here at cancer.org/fight/pledge.

Find out what’s going on throughout your High Plains Division American Cancer Society.

The Fall 2012 edition of your American Cancer Society High Plains Division “PlainsTalk“ newsletter is now online!

From our successful CPS-3 enrollment efforts and the recent Relay Summit in Dallas, to our PSA partnership with the MLB St. Louis Cardinals, as well as touching personal stories from cancer survivors; CLICK HERE to read all about it …

To subscribe to PlainsTalk by email please visit cancerenews.org.

American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout is Thursday!

The American Cancer Society is marking the 37th Great American Smokeout on November 15 by encouraging smokers to use the date to make a plan to quit, or to plan in advance and quit smoking that day. By quitting — even for one day — smokers will be taking an important step towards a healthier life – one that can lead to reducing cancer risk.

Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet about 43.8 million Americans still smoke cigarettes — Nearly 1 in every 5 adults. As of 2010, there were also 13.2 million cigar smokers in the US, and 2.2 million who smoke tobacco in pipes — other dangerous and addictive forms of tobacco.

Quitting is hard, but you can increase your chances of success with help. The American Cancer Society can tell you about the steps you can take to quit smoking and provide anti-smoking programs, resources and support that can increase your chances of quitting successfully. To learn about the available tools, call us at 1-800-227-2345. You can also find free tips and tools below. Get more info at cancer.org/smokeout

 

Watch the 2012 High Plains Relay Leadership Summit speakers.

The Relay Leaders from across the High Plains Division gathered in Dallas, TX September 27-29 for the High Plains Division Relay Leadership Summit!

Want to find out what they learned? Visit our channel at youtube.com/rflhighplains.

900 American Cancer Society Relay For Life Volunteers & Staff Learn What it Takes to “Dream Big. Hope Big. Relay Big”

On September 27 – 29, 900 dedicated Relay volunteers and staff from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Texas convened in Dallas, TX for the 2012 Relay For Life Leadership Summit. The event featured the message “Dream Big, Hope Big, Relay Big” inspiring volunteers and staff to return to their communities and ask for one more donation, one more committee member, one more sponsor.

Highlights of the Summit included the lively and uplifting performance by the Drum Café during the opening general session; and hearing from ACS funded researcher Dr. Vidya Gopalakrishnan who shared her promising research for the treatment and cure of Medullablastoma, a highly malignant pediatric brain tumor.

Throughout the weekend attendees were inspired by the 2013 Heroes of Hope. Twenty-seven cancer survivors and caregivers shared their “I Am Hope” statements and their victories in the fight against cancer.  To view a list of the 2013 Heroes of Hope, visit cancer.org/heroesofhope.

As always, the awards ceremony brought lots of excitement and energy to the group.  A special award was given to American Cancer Society longtime volunteer leader Charlie Mason of San Antonio, Texas.  Charlie received his award and was inducted into the High Plains Relay For Life Hall of Fame for his 17 years of service to Relay For Life and ACS.

Unique to this year’s Summit was the opportunity for attendees to enroll in Cancer Prevention Study III (CPS-3).  On Saturday morning, 233 people enrolled in the study, helping to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Visit cancer.org/cps3 for more information, or go to cps3hp.org for enrollment locations.

At the conclusion of Summit, Relay volunteers and staff returned to their regions excited and empowered to Dream BIG, Hope BIG and Relay BIG.

For more information about Relay For Life or how to get involved in your community visit relayforlife.org.  For more information about the American Cancer Society visit cancer.org or call us, anytime day or night at 1.800.227.2345.